Day of the Tread Ride Report

It was a perfect day for a ride and a little warmer than normal for October and I was happy to get to hang out with the whole fam! Luckily we decided to get an early start to pick up a friend because we ALL forgot our bibs and had to run back home to get them.  I almost forgot my helmet too!  You can definitely tell it is off season for me because there was no prepping the night before or checking off lists and I was completely calm.  I didn't even pack a water bottle thinking I was only going 26 miles and they'd have aid stations.  I know, I know I totally jinxed it!

So we get there and got stuck in a never ending loop you get of people directing you where to park except there's no where left to park!  We finally found some piece of dirt that only a 4x4 could park in and hope that we gave just enough room for the other guy to get out later!  Then we make a mad dash to the start.  We are standing around waiting for my brother and his girlfriend to show up then they yell START 15 minutes EARLY!!!!  In a panic and tons of bikes swallowing me up I just went.  I lost everyone almost immediately.  Then I got a phone call from my brother and took it, yes I know not safe while riding.  But I knew he didn't know we had started.  I told him they needed to go that they started early!  Finally found my dad and we rode together.  We kept going past all the aid stations because I told him I'd only need one stop at the turn around for water, MISTAKE!  As we were passing an aid station I thought ok I know we already had to have passed the turn around for the 12 miles which my mom was supposed to be doing, how come we didn't see a marker?  Sure enough she had missed it too we found out and "almost fainted" when she asked some one and found out she had already gone to the 10 mile marker (she's a little bit of a drama queen) but she actually did 20 miles on my commuter bike and felt great!!  It gave her the confidence she needed to maybe do more cycling?!??

Later as were passing a station I yelled at my dad " I think I saw a sign with what looks like a u turn that might be our turn around!"  My dad kept riding not hearing me at first then a guy rode up and said "No, I thought that too but it's not it's further up on Tramway."  So we kept going and once we got to the casino I told my dad there is no way that was less than 3 miles we just rode!  Sure enough on the way back I yelled out was this the turn around for the 26?  And just by coincidence I had asked the same guy that had told us wrong and he had turned around earlier he said "Yes, it was sorry I told you wrong!"  My dad wanted to just finish out the 54 but I reminded him we needed find everyone else.  So we did close to 40 miles in a couple of hours.  I was tired, hungry and thirsty but still felt good and managed to have a blast!  So if I do this again probably won't do the bike ride I'll think about doing one of the runs!  I did like the shirts though!